PepsiCo To Roll Out Thousands Of Recycling Machines

PURCHASE, NY -- PepsiCo said it plans to deploy thousands of recycling kiosks in venues such
as gas stations, stadiums and public parks to make it more convenient and rewarding for consumers to recycle on the go.

The beverage giant is deploying the "Dream Machines" through a multiyear partnership with Waste Management Inc. The reverse venders incorporate a personal reward system that allows consumers to collect and redeem points for each bottle or can they recycle in the kiosk.

The machines will be provided by GreenOps LLC, a subsidiary of Waste Management. They're operated by Greenopolis, an interactive recycling system that brings together online and "on street" technologies to allow patrons to receive awards for recycling their containers when they visit greenopolis.com.

In addition to more than 50 machines being rolled out in southern California, the Rite Aid drugstore chain is set to be one of the first national retailers to sign on to the program, starting with 150 kiosks in its North Carolina locations.

PepsiCo has also entered into a partnership with Keep America Beautiful Inc. to encourage community involvement in the program by engaging nearly 600 local affiliate organizations in communities nationwide.

The initiative advances PepsiCo's goal of increasing the U.S. beverage container recycling rate from 34% to 50% by 2018. Currently, less than a third of plastic beverage containers are being recycled each year, according to the company, and only 12% of public spaces are equipped with recycling receptacles.

Pepsi said it will donate a portion of proceeds from the collected recyclables to help fund the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities, a national program offering free training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities.